New Policy Brief: "Supporting Russian Civil Society"

Washington, December 1, 2022—Today, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a new policy brief, "Supporting Russian Civil Society: A Report of the Transatlantic Forum on Russia," from authors Andrea Kendall Taylor, senior fellow and director of the Transatlantic Security Program; and Maria Snegovaya, adjunct senior fellow in the Transatlantic Security Program.

The policy brief identifies how the United States and Europe together can support Russian civil society, especially those journalists, activists, and other actors that have left Russia amid the rise in repression after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The brief also outlines the state of play of the Kremlin’s crackdown on civil society, U.S. and European responses to date, and shared interests in coordinated support.

The authors argue that sustaining support for Russian civil society is an important investment in a less confrontational relationship with a post-Putin Russia. To that end, the authors recommend several actions that Western policymakers can take to support these actors in this new era of relations with Russia.

This policy brief is a product of the CNAS Transatlantic Forum on Russia, an initiative designed to spur coordination between the United States and Europe on Russia-related policy across multiple issue areas. Policy briefs are informed by a series of dialogues with leading experts from both sides of the Atlantic. Previous briefs in the series include: "Toward a New Transatlantic Approach to Russia Sanctions," "Arms Control and Stability with Russia," and "Navigating Relations with Russia in the Arctic."

For more information or to schedule an interview with the report authors, please contact Cameron Edinburgh at cedinburgh@cnas.org